Cambridge Mosque, “Europe’s first eco-mosque” has opened after much anticipation. Sustainability and eco-friendliness have been prioritised in the building of the mosque and its mission statement, which quotes Dr Tim Winter, chairman of the Cambridge Mosque Trust, as stating that “‘Islamic civilization has been based on the rejection of waste as an under-estimation of God’s…
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the United State’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, won its lawsuit on behalf of Bahia Amawi. Amawi, a speech language pathologist in Texas, lost her job after she declined to sign a contract that would renew her employment with the Austin public school district because it included…
At the University of Frankfurt, a fierce debate has broken out over a proposed conference on the Islamic headscarf, signalling growing contestation over questions of identity and discrimination. Entitled “The Islamic headscarf – Symbol of dignity or of oppression?”, the conference is scheduled for May 8, 2019. Its principal organiser is Susanne Schröter, an anthropologist…
An intense debate is taking place in the UK between religious groups in the context of what has been described as the introduction of ‘LGBT equality’ lessons and the announcement by the UK government that from September 2020, relationships and sex education (RSE) will become statutory in all secondary schools in England. Relationships education will…
As immigration has taken centre stage in political debates across Europe in recent years, stories of brave deeds and outstanding achievements by immigrants have become a staple of reporting. Defenders of migrants’ rights in particular have crafted and amplified narratives of ‘exceptional’ individuals in order to combat rising anti-immigrant sentiment. Brave men, superheroes, and honorary…
